Portugal’s Storm Crisis Exposes Weaknesses in Emergency Infrastructure and Governance

Portugal faces a dire calamity after Storm Kristin ravaged its most vulnerable regions, claiming at least five lives and severely damaging critical infrastructure. The government’s declaration of a state of calamity underscores the gravity of this disaster, yet raises urgent questions about preparedness and resilience—not just abroad but from an American vantage point. What Happens When Critical Infrastructure Fails? The storm’s aftermath left nearly a million Portuguese without electricity at one point, with 774 kilometers of very high voltage power lines downed—equivalent to 7% of the nation’s electrical grid. This is the worst such disruption since 2009. As electrical grids...